Former council boss David Panter awarded £52,000 in bonuses to eight senior officers before leaving his post.

The outgoing chief executive of Brighton and Hove City Council gave the extra pay as a reward for improved performance before resigning to take a new job in Australia.

Mr Panter quit his post in August but he has left behind a row over his use of taxpayers' money to supplement senior executives' pay.

The bonuses have also angered lower-paid staff and damaged relations with unions, which are fighting for better pay deals for members.

The biggest award of £10,900 was handed to acting chief executive Alan McCarthy, who was deputy chief at the time. Ian Long, housing and city support director, was given payments of £1,620 and £6,480 after switching jobs.

The second-largest single payment, £7,600, went to children, family and schools head David Hawker while the smallest bonus, £2,000, was paid to Pat Foster for when she was acting environment director.

Tony Miller was presented with £7,200 for his work as communications and democratic services director.

Environment director Jenny Rowlands received £6,000.

Alex Bailey, the director for strategy and governance, and human resources director Mark Lamb were given £5,075 each.

The council said it could not discuss personal information about its staff but revealed the cash was handed out because the directors reached most of their key targets and as a reward for their style of leadership and behaviour.

Mr Panter has been credited with bringing the council's finances under control amid fears it would have to make £25 million in cuts to essential services.

Finance councillor Simon Burgess said: "I do appreciate that to everyone out there this does seem like a lot of money.

"The market dictates the money we have to pay and the reality is, these people get less in the public sector than they would in the private sector.

"This money was tied to performance and the council really did have to improve - the people involved had to deliver."

Public sector union Unison said lower-paid council staff were furious at the decision to pay directors bonuses.

Brighton and Hove branch secretary Alex Knutsen said the money would be better spent paying five teaching assistants, four home helps or two social workers.

He said: "This has made our members across the council very angry. I've been bombarded with letters and emails saying this is a disgrace."

The payments have also caused outrage among opposition councillors.

Garry Peltzer Dunn, leader of the Conservative group, said: "The then chief executive may have thought this was a positive thing but I would not have approved it had I been asked.

"I have every confidence in the officers that they will deliver on targets without bonus payments.

"Councillor Keith Taylor, convener of the Green group, said: "This is outrageous. We are facing £25 million in cutbacks if we stick to Government spending plans.

"I am very concerned about this information and will press for an immediate explanation from the acting chief executive."

Alastair Robertson, honorary secretary of the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives, said: "The process has to be transparent. When there is performance-related pay for senior staff, consultation with leading councillors is what we would normally expect."

Before leaving the council, Mr Panter wrote to all council staff challenging what he called "misleading information" by the union.

He said in the memo: "It is not the case that directors awarded themselves a bonus.

"Two years ago I very openly introduced the concept of Individual Performance Compacts for directors.

"An element of this approach was what might be called a performance-related pay component.

"Council leader Ken Bodfish also defended the payments.

He said: "This was a perfectly proper decision on the part of the chief executive, who was paid to make such decisions.

"I am absolutely confident that each of the directors deserved these payments."